Let's take a look at sebaceous oil. This is the oil that your body secretes naturally to keep your skin moisturized and healthy. Many people think that overproduction of sebaceous oil is the cause of acne. In most cases, they are right- bacteria and oil can cause acne. However, there is a catch. Your body naturally secretes these oils, so why would your body itself be causing it's own acne? It probably isn't, and this is where you need to step in.
In order to survive, your body needs to be hydrated with water- pure, simple water- no sodas, no soft drinks, no sugary fruit juices. If you aren't drinking enough water, your body may secrete extra oil to make sure it's skin is kept in tip-top condition. Why? Because oil keeps your skin from letting go of too much water. Over time, body fluids can evaporate at the skin's surface, thus drying you out if you don't continuously replenish your body's supply of water. So by excreting extra oil, your body more efficiently processes the water it does have. In the meantime, bacteria in the air land on your oily skin and have a reproduction party, overcoming your pores with millions of these pesky critters. In an attempt by your immune system to prevent the bacteria from getting inside your body, pimples appear. Sometimes filled with a white or yellowish fluid called pus, this icky stuff is filled with dead bacteria (the bad guys) and the white blood cells (your body's own good guys). The redness and inflammation associated with acne is also an immune system response. When the immune system senses a bacterial invasion, it sends extra blood to the area of infection and thus the surrounding tissue becomes reddened with excess blood an has a swollen appearance. The pimple will calm down and go away after your immune system has done it's job and the bacteria are all dead and the threat of infection in that particular spot has passed.
Whew. That's a lot of information, isn't it? Here's what we're trying to get at- acne is the physical manifestation of a lifestyle problem. Changes in diet, and stress levels (which alter hormone production) are the key sources of acne. Brown colored sodas have also been known to provoke acne breakouts in some people. If you drink a lot of brown colored soda, we recommend stopping. Perhaps an allergy to the additive “caramel coloring†or just the lack of pure water intake, there is definitely a correlation between acne and soda. In all reality, water is the only liquid and adult human needs to hydrate themselves. The more additives in a product, the harder the body has to work to retrieve the water out of that product, and the more of it that goes to waste. This is why simple, pure water is the best decision when choosing a drink. Maintaining a balanced diet rich in vegetables is also crucial. Your body works best when it is properly nourished, and it needs the natural vitamins, minerals and antioxidants found in foods.
Drink 8-10 glasses of water per day. It can be that simple. There are other causes of acne, but I believe that inadequate diet is the main cause. Cheeseburgers, cake and soda simply don't nourish our bodies the way that we need them to. A diet rich in natural foods such as meats, cheeses, vegetables, fruits and whole grains can provide all of the nutrition necessary to keep your sebaceous glands from going bonkers and hosting a bacteria reproduction party on your face, causing ugly acne. It can take weeks, even months, for a corrected diet to reach it's full potential, but when you've made the switch, you'll feel and look so good that you won't even want to look back.
